The Aristocrat Health Institute was one of the best private hospitals in the world.
Not only was it the most prestigious, but not everyone could afford to pay its exorbitant fees. Despite this, many people high on the social ladder, including powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business tycoons, sought medical treatment here. The highly trained and experienced doctors and nurses working there were always ready to go the extra mile for their patients.
The Aristocrat Health Institute was also owned by the Matthews and Sons Group.
Elena parked the car in a hurry and scurried through the automatic doors of the building. She approached the woman behind the reception, but before she could introduce herself, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
She turned to find Mr Jones standing with a taut expression on his old face. “This way.”
Elena swallowed thickly and nodded. She followed the butler towards the bank of elevators. Her hands trembled, but she clasped them tightly to stop the tremors. She tried her best to keep her composure as the numbers lit up.
The doors chimed open, and Elena took a shaky breath before stepping into the elevator.
“What’s going on? You can tell me now,” she tried to ask, done with being in the dark. She wanted to know what was happening, why he had called her out of nowhere, and who was admitted to the hospital.
“You’ll know soon enough, Madam.”
When the elevator doors finally slid open, Mr. Jones led the way towards a private suite at the end of the corridor.
Her mind raced with so many possibilities, and the knot in her stomach tightened.
When they reached outside the suite, Elena noticed a dozen men on guard outside.
The first thing that came to her mind was her father, and she immediately rushed inside the room.
But when she found took her breath away. It wasn’t her father on the bed. It was Josh, her brother.
She stared at his pale, battered face in disbelief, shaking her head.
“Josh,” she called, hoping to get some kind of reaction from him, but nothing happened.
She looked over at Mr. Jones, who was standing on the other side of the bed.
“What happened?”
“An accident. He’s still unconscious.”
Elena glanced at her brother again, unable to believe that this was real. Her heart was racing, her thoughts running wild.
She was so overwhelmed, tears began to stream down her face.
“Is my dad…?”
“The news of the accident broke him,” Mr. Jones informed her. “But that’s not even the worst.”
Elena looked at the butler in question.
“What are you talking about?”
Mr. Jones sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. “It’s your sister-in-law.”
“What about her? She was with him?”
“She…She is dead, madam.”
Elena was struck speechless for a moment. It felt as if the entire world had fallen away from under her feet. She stared at the older man, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
“How…”
“A car accident,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I’m afraid, Madam, it was a hit and run.”
Elena didn’t know what to say. She felt numb. This was so surreal, so unbelievable.
The thought of losing her sister-in-law was almost too much for her to bear.
She sat on the bed next to her unconscious brother and held his hand, tears still flowing freely. But then another terrible thought came to her mind and her blood ran cold.
“Where’s Caleb?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mr. Jones shook his head. “He’s under observation. He was with the parents when the accident occurred.”
“Oh god,” she breathed out. She didn’t even want to imagine what that little boy was going through right now.
Just thinking about it brought fresh tears to her eyes.
“Madam, there is something else,” Mr. Jones said, his voice wavering slightly.
Elena looked at him and waited.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it.”
She braced herself. Whatever it was, she knew she wasn’t going to like it.
“According to the doctors, your brother is in a coma.”
“Oh, no.” Elena’s chest tightened painfully.
“The doctors say there’s a chance he might wake up, but they’re not sure. They also say he might not survive the night. So, Madam, it’s up to you.”
“Up to me?” she echoed, confused.
“Yes. According to your brother’s will, you’re listed as the legal guardian of Caleb.”
Elena felt heartbroken, but hearing him frustrated her just the same. “Why are you talking about this right now? The will doesn’t matter. Josh will be fine. He will wake up.”
“I’m sorry, madam. But according to the doctors, we should be ready for the worst. If that happens, then you need to decide what to do. And you have to do it now.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You’re wrong. He will wake up. He will.”
The words came out in a rush. She couldn’t bring herself to think otherwise. She wouldn’t.
“It’s okay, Madam,” Mr. Jones said, giving her a sympathetic look. “Perhaps you should take a minute to think about it. I’ll leave you two alone.”
Mr. Jones stepped out of the room, and Elena was left alone with her thoughts.
She wiped away her tears and looked down at her unconscious brother.
“Josh,” she whispered, taking his hand. “Don’t do this to me, please. Wake up. I can’t do this without you. Please.”
He didn’t stir.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she squeezed his hand, hoping for some kind of response. But nothing happened.
A soft sob escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, her heart aching.
“I can’t lose you too,” she choked out, wondering why this was happening to her. “Please. You can’t die. Caleb needs you. I need you. We can’t do this without you, Josh.”
She buried her face in her hands and cried.
“Josh, please,” she begged. “Please don’t die.”
For hours, Elena sat next to her brother. She held his hand, whispered prayers and words of encouragement in his ear, anything to keep him with her. But nothing seemed to work. He was in a deep, seemingly endless, coma. When the doctors finally came in and asked her to step outside, she refused. “I’m not leaving,” she told them firmly. “But Madam—” “I said I’m not leaving.” The doctors shared a concerned look before turning back to her. “All right,” one of the doctors agreed. “But we’re going to have to run a few tests on him, so if you could please step outside the room for a bit, we’d appreciate it. And I’m not sure if someone informed you or not, but Mr Matthews' son has been shifted to the children’s ward. He might wake up soon, so maybe you should…check on him.” Elena swallowed, wiping her wet lashes. The doctors were right. She should check up on Caleb, now that he was out of the observation room. She could always come back to Josh later. Or maybe she should finally visi
One year and six months later.“The car is ready, ma’am.” Betty Adams told Elena, as she stepped out of the airport and glanced around the familiar city.New York had been her home for more than a decade, but after Richard’s betrayal and the accident that shattered her once-perfect life into millions of painful pieces, she couldn’t stay any longer. She needed a break. A change in the scenery. And so did Caleb. The boy had lost his mother and had almost lost his father, too, if not for Elena who refused to pull the plug.Elena nodded and adjusted the sunglasses on her face.She was tired, jetlagged, and hungry.After spending a year and a half in Milan, Italy, she was finally back home.Betty, her trusted personal assistant, led the way towards the awaiting car.Elena followed her, her mind drifting to everything that had happened over the past year and a half.It was still hard to believe that her brother had been in a coma for so long. She thought he would wake up after a few days, b
The next morning, as Elena barely stepped out of the car on her way to the NYC office, a beautiful woman in an equally stunning designer dress stood in front of her, blocking her way. Elena frowned, her four guards mere microseconds away from pushing the woman aside, when Elena’s gaze fell on the woman’s face, and a smile, full of surprise, cracked across her lips. “Danika?” Elena chuckled, silently gesturing her guards to stand back as a familiar face smiled brightly at her. “You slut!” Danika grinned, throwing her arms around her best friend. “You’re actually back, and the first thing you do is head for work? What kind of joke is that? Get on that phone and cancel all your plans. Today, you’re all mine. We are getting shit-faced drunk, and you’re telling me EVERYTHING. Is that understood?” Elena hugged her friend before pulling away. “Don’t you think it’s too early to get drunk?” Danika laughed heartily, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Not early enough to not have a good
Simon Walsh gazed at the transparent hologram of the old artefact revolving in the air, his deep and dark eyes glistering in deep contemplation.This was going to be the next treasure in his collection.He could finally tell where the crown came from: Byzantine, and once belonged to a concubine who lived in the early 400. The last three red rubies dangling between two white pearl strands were carefully wrapped in platinum chains, making a dazzling decoration, just like any royalty jewels.And to think about how lucky he was for the final negotiation to be able to buy the crown?Simon let out a self-deprecating grin, remembering how many times he nearly lost the item, with his secret rival throwing hundreds of bidders between the table to completely confuse the entire market.Despite losing her nearly thrice, Simon would soon have the crown in the palm of his hand. He was certain of it, for no other jeweller in the States could afford that beauty with the price he had settled down at.T
A year ago in Paris. After a long and hectic day at work, Elena was glad to finally get a break. It was night and each of her staff had already left. She was exhausted and wanted nothing but to sit down and relax. She could feel her body was aching, her back hurting and her legs were wobbly. She was ready to call it a night and go back home. Elena walked out of the building and took in the cool Paris air. It was a relief to her after spending the whole day inside. She could feel the freshness of the air seeping in and filling her lungs. She closed her eyes and let the cool breeze caress her cheeks, enjoying the quiet and peace. But then she paused in her footsteps and remembered that Caleb would be having a sleepover at his best friend’s house. And it was only her who had to go back home. Alone. Alone, without anyone to share the bed with. Alone, without anyone to hold her tight and warm her heart. The thought made her sad. After the betrayal from her ex-fucking-husband, she ha
“So, what do you say, Elena?” He coiled a stray curl of hers around his finger, giving her a gentle tug. “Would you like to get out of here and go somewhere more private?”His offer caught her so damn off guard, her heart began to beat faster, and she never really realized that she never gave him her name during their entire exchange. The truth was, she had come to the bar to hook up with someone, and this guy was certainly attractive enough. Enough for her to ignore the fact he seemed to be aware of her identity despite meeting her the first time.“Um, I don’t know,” she replied, biting her lower lip.The stranger leaned in close, his face mere inches away from hers.“I think you do,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear.His words sent a shiver down her spine, and she could feel herself starting to grow aroused. It had been such a long time since she felt like this.He slipped her hand in his and pulled her to him, moving her between his legs. He kissed the side of her neck
The stranger looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Not yet,” he murmured. Elena groaned with frustration, but she knew there was no point in trying to resist him. He was in complete control, and all she could do was submit to his desires. The stranger began to kiss his way down her body once more, this time not stopping until he reached her aching pussy. He planted a soft kiss on her inner thigh, and then ran his tongue along her slit, tasting her arousal. She shuddered, already on the brink of orgasm. He flicked his tongue against her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her body. Elena couldn’t help but cry out, shutting her eyes tightly and grabbing fistfuls of the sheets as he continued his ministrations. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to climax, and when he slipped two fingers inside of her, she lost control. Her body convulsed, and she let out a loud moan as she came hard, her juices flowing out of her and all over the stranger’s fingers. B
[PRESENT]The masquerade ball, one month later, was nothing short of spectacular.The event was held at the Plaza, which was decorated with an opulent array of flowers and fairy lights. A live band played music that could be heard throughout the entire venue, and the guests mingled and danced with one another, their outfits the height of fashion and their masks an elaborate collection of feathers, lace, and jewels.In the midst of it all was Elena, wearing a floor-length gown of navy blue silk and a mask covered in silver beading. Her dark hair was swept up into an elegant twist, and her lips were painted a deep red. She looked gorgeous and she knew that, but the night was hardly about her. It was about the company, and it was about Josh.Elena had thrown the ball, inviting all the richest and most influential people in the world, in the hopes of drawing in the attention of the man who was known to have all the answers.Simon Walsh. The president of the Walsh Group of Companies. The m
Hey lovely readers,First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you if you’ve made it to the end. It wasn’t an easy journey, I know, but you stayed, and that means everything to me. :)Secondly, let me get straight to what I said I would be talking about in this note.I know a lot of you (probably all of you) must be wondering what happens with Josh next, and what about Angelina, Betty, Caleb, and the other kids.No worries—the reason I decided not to continue their stories here is that I’ll be exploring that story arc in a new book. It will probably be published soon (I’ll do my best, I promise). I realized that Josh’s story needed its own space because there was so much I wanted to write for him, and that couldn’t happen alongside Simon and Elena, who were obviously nearing their happy ending.But yes, it’s impossible to write about Josh without Elena, so Elena and Simon will be making appearances in the new book as well. Maybe sometimes more than I intend, because God knows I lov
After their little party was over and everyone went back to the guest rooms to rest, Elena laid their sleeping daughter in her crib and tucked her nicely.A pair of warm hands slid around her waist from behind, a kiss landed on her shoulder. “Thank you for today. How long have you been planning all this? And how the hell did you manage to invite Josh? I didn’t take him for a party person. Not these days.” He whispered into her ear, making her skin tingle.“You have to ask me how I got your brother to attend? I have my ways of making people do what I want.” She grinned as she turned in his arms and looped hers around his neck.He grinned as well. “Is that right? Do those ways include threatening? Do I want to know the details?” He said jokingly, knowing how Elena is, and she was very much the kind of person who’d go out of her way to make the things that were important to her, happen.“Oh, I think you don’t really want to know. But, I just had to do it for you.”She gave him a light kis
Simon woke up in the middle of the night, his heart racing.He looked around himself, patting his hand around in search of the person he was hoping to find. But to his dismay, there was no one else on the bed with him.“Elena?” he said out loud, frowning at the darkness.His hand patted the sheets and pillow again, trying to feel for her body, but he found nothing. Where was she? Where did she go?“Elena?”No response.He was starting to worry now. Where was she? He could feel a sense of dread slowly filling up inside him. He needed to find her. He needed to know if she was okay.Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from outside his room. He quickly got out of bed, put on his sweatpants and a t-shirt and opened the door.There was no one in the hallway. It was eerily quiet.He frowned, he could swear he heard someone walk by just now.“Elena, are you here? Please say something, darling. It’s me.” He said as he walked slowly to the end of the hallway, bare feet.Just when he thought he
Elena stood outside the doors, clutching the bouquet tightly in her hands. She was shaking, and she knew that anyone who could see her right now would notice, including her brother, Josh.“You’re not a very confident bride, are you?” he teased.She rolled her eyes, wanting to punch him but refraining from causing any casualties at her wedding.“I’m just nervous, that’s all.”“Understandable,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Trust me, you’re not the only one.”She looked up at him, unsure of what he meant. “What do you mean?”“Simon probably feels way worse. I mean, did you see him before he went into that room with his friends? He was sweating bullets.”She shook her head. “You’re making that up.”“I’m not, I swear!” He chuckled. “He’s just as scared as you are, if not more. And that’s a sight I never thought I’d see in my life.”She smiled a little. “I guess you’re right. He is pretty intimidating.”“Exactly. So you have nothing to worry about.” He patted her shoulder. “You’ve got thi
Richard whistled, and Danika watched as Greg, standing outside the room, appeared and uncuffed him.“What the fuck?” Danika was shocked. “How did you… How did you do that?” She turned to face Greg. “You… you work for me, not him! Cuff him back to the door, you giant imbecile!”“Sorry, miss,” Greg said in a deep voice, “I don’t think I will. Mr. McDowell here paid me a lot more money than you to change sides.”“What?!”“That’s right.” Richard stood up, rubbing his wrists. “This is over for you, Danika. Let’s just end this before anyone gets hurt.”Shocked and now furious, Danika was not someone who would give up so easily. Her fingers tightened around the scalpel in her hand. She would fight. She would not go down without a fight.“You think you can win, Richard? You think you’re so smart, don’t you? Well, you’re wrong. I’m not going anywhere. If I can’t have Elena, then no one can.”Without warning, she lunged at Elena, swinging the scalpel towards her throat. But before she could eve
“Is everything set up?” the first man who carried the unconscious bride asked.“Yes,” Greg, who stood outside the operating theater, nodded. “The room is ready. All the equipment is working fine. Just leave her inside, and that woman will handle the rest.”“Sounds good to me,” the other man said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.“Yeah, me too. I just want to get this over with as soon as possible. I don’t want to be here for too long. My wife and daughter have been going on and on about this wedding, and if they come to know I was part of it, they’ll never let me hear the end of it,” the first one said.“Don’t worry. You’ll be paid handsomely,” Greg assured, opening the door for them. “I’ll make sure of that. We just need to do our jobs and get out of here. Simple as that.”“Fine,” the two men said in unison.Danika was waiting for them next to the table, a smile on her face. “Ah, there you are. Any trouble?”“No. Everything’s fine.”“Excellent. Place her on the table, please.”They
Danika was so damn ready for the final stage of her revenge.She had planned everything meticulously, and now all her efforts were coming to fruition. She was smiling to herself when the phone rang, and she picked it up, already aware of what she was about to hear.“We got her,” the man with the deep voice said. “On our way now. Will be there in twenty.”“Perfect. See you then.”She hung up, unable to stop the grin from forming on her face. Everything was going according to plan. And it was just getting started.She looked around. She was standing right in the middle of an abandoned hospital, the perfect place to host her little celebration. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Simon’s face once he realized his bride was gone. And this time, for good. He would be devastated, broken, destroyed. The thought alone was enough to make her laugh.“What’s so funny?” Richard asked as he walked into what looked like an operating theatre.“Just imagining Simon’s face once he realizes I’ve taken
Simon was pacing outside the bridal suite, restless and nervous. One of the servers had informed him that Elena wasn’t feeling well, and he had dropped everything he was doing to rush over and see if she was okay, or if they needed to cancel the wedding. Because he totally could. Nothing was more important to him than his soon-to-be wife’s well-being.“Come on, open the fucking door! Let me in. Just once. I swear, I won’t even say a word.”“Not yet, Simon,” came the familiar voice of Diana. “We talked about this. You can’t see the bride before the wedding.”“Fuck that. This is a fucking emergency. She’s not answering the phone. What if something’s wrong?”“Relax. She’s fine. She just needs a few minutes alone. The excitement is getting to her. But she’ll be out soon. Don’t worry.”“Diana, I swear to God, if you don’t open the door right now, I’m breaking it down. I don’t care if I have to chop the entire thing down.”“Go away, Simon. Or I’m going to tell Elena what you did the other da
And while celebrations and laughter were being shared in one part of the world, in another corner, a different kind of gathering was being planned—a more sinister, dark, and twisted celebration.“I knew I’d find you here,” a familiar voice whispered in his ear. Richard glanced over his shoulder, frowning at the face he hadn’t seen in a while. But there was no mistaking it. The woman was actually here, and the first thing he wanted to do upon recognizing her was to wrap his fingers around her throat and squeeze until she stopped breathing.“What do you want?” he growled, turning back to his drink as he sat at the bar of one of the elite clubs.“Why? No welcome? Where are your manners, Richie?”He hated it when she called him that.“What are you doing here, Danika? I thought I made it clear you were not to contact me again.”“And I thought I made it clear that I have no intention of backing off until you realize that we both have the same enemy. Until you agree to work with me.”“You are